1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of media content subscription services, and more specifically to portable and remotely controlled user privileges, and electronic/digital resource and asset management.
2. Necessity of the Invention
Media content subscription services are increasingly popular and profitable services. Common antenna (CATV), or cable television, subscriptions are found in millions of homes across America, and music services such as www.emusic.com and XM Radio are reporting increases in user levels. Most media content subscription services require an individual to apply for subscription, and if the media content subscription service provider wishes to accept the individual, he/she is provided with an appropriate service privilege-receiver. In the case of CATV, an accepted individual typically receives a set-top-box that is uniquely identified and associated with the individual. The set-top-box is capable of decrypting the CATV signal and supplies the decrypted version to the individual's television.
However, once activated, these services typically require very little user identification, and an authorized user could unknowingly provide his benefits to other people. Most people have heard stories of ‘stealing cable from the neighbors’ and other rights-hijacking attempts. Additionally, because these services often expect use of a ‘home base’, such as a television set-top-box or a cookie on a computer, transporting subscription privileges from one location to another is anything from difficult to impossible. For example, it is very difficult for a cable subscriber to take his cable subscription service privileges to a friend's—and non-subscriber's—house for cable viewing at the friend's house.
The necessity for administrative convenience and security has overwhelmed the subscriber's flexibility of subscription permissions. There is a definite need for a user-centric subscription service system, allowing for vendor, provider and user security, while allowing for greater user flexibility.
3. Description of the Related Art
Digital Rights Management Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,403 to Stefik discloses a system for controlling use and distribution of digital works. The invention allows the owner of a digital work to attach usage rights to their work. The usage rights define how the individual digital work may be used and distributed. Instances of usage rights are defined using a flexible and extensible usage rights grammar. Although the patent provides a network terminating device-based internal digital rights management system capability for managing and monitoring digital properties, the Stefik patent does not provide a user-oriented system for accessing digital rights and privileges.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,401,085, 6,356,905, and 6,199,099, all to Gershman, disclose a system that facilitates web-based information retrieval and display. A wireless phone or similar hand-held wireless device with internet protocol capability is combined with other peripherals to provide a portable portal into the Internet. The wireless device prompts a user to input information of interest to the user. This information is transmitted a query to a service routine running on a Web server. The service routine then queries the Web to find price, shipping and availability information from various Web suppliers. This information is available for use by various applications through an interface support framework. An “electronic valet” capability is also disclosed which represents a convenient mechanism for organizing user preferences, rights, privileges, etc. However, the patent, and the products it protects, does not provide a user-centric, media content subscription service system.
A variety of other U.S. Patents discuss securely or privately accessed systems, digital rights management systems, and other remotely, wirelessly, or portably accessed or controlled systems or resources, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,135,646, 6,256,393, 6,289,445, 6,327,622, 6,449,367, 6,499,099, 6,330,770, 6,535,871 and others. None of these patents provide a user-centric media content subscription service system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,412 to Wasilewski discloses a CATV system that provides conditional access to services. The cable television system includes a head-end from which service “instances” are broadcast, and provides set-top units for receiving the instances and selectively decrypting the instances for display to system subscribers. These service instances are encrypted using public and/or private keys provided by service providers or central authorization agents. Keys used by the set-top units for selective decryption may also be public or private in nature, and such keys may be reassigned at different times to provide a cable television system in which piracy concerns are minimized. The Wasilewski patent appears not to perceive or articulate a need for portable, user-centric privileges. The Wasilewski patent is silent, vague, or incomplete on several features, including hierarchies of access privileges or verification of authenticated user privileges. There is also no mention of users porting their privileges between different remotely controlled devices and machinery.
Remote Control Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,428 to Graham discloses a patent relating to private remote control communication systems. In Graham's patent, coded messages, e.g., for use in remote control of equipment, are transmitted and received in a system which purports to preclude unauthorized or accidental activation of a control associated with the receiving means. This presumed secure communication is accomplished by generating a plurality of carrier frequencies in a predetermined sequence and by modulating each carrier frequency in accordance with a digital code. The receiving means, which is primarily tuned to receive the first carrier in a transmission sequence, detects and decodes the received signals and stores the decoded message. The equipment to be controlled includes a receiver that is retuned to another carrier frequency after each bit of a coded message is detected, in a system that appears to resemble a “spread spectrum” type of a communications system, insofar as Graham's patent notes that the equipment is expected to be responsive to the entire received message.
The Graham patent appears to be one of many re-articulations of spread-spectrum communications systems, which can be fundamentally different, yet generically are well known in the art. Graham is primarily directed to communications by radio from a base transmitter to a radio-controlled station or to remote radio station equipment, where message privacy and security are important. Graham does not disclose media content subscription service applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,542 to Clark discloses an automatic garage door operator with remote load control. The apparatus of the invention is a remote control device comprising a two button portable controller that features a “secure mode.” In accordance with the normal operation of the secure mode button, actuation when the garage door is closed toggles the remote controller between either a secure state or a non-secure state. In the secure state, the automatic garage door operator does not move the door upon receipt of a door signal. To open the door when in the secure state, the garage door operator must first press the secure button to enter the non-secure state and then press the door button to open the door. The secure button has a secondary function when the garage door is open and the secure state is prohibited. Actuation of the secure button when the door is open toggles the state of a load remote from the automatic garage door operator between an on state and an off state. This control is achieved via a signal modulated on the electric power main. Clark is limited to the control of garage doors and other doors, and does not anticipate or suggest applications outside of the narrow focus of the patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,318 to Martel discloses a car door operator that purports to provide enhanced security for controlled vehicle access by employing transmitters having unique identity codes that are fixed at the time of manufacture. A receiver includes a nonvolatile read/write identity code memory for storing the authorized identity codes. If a received identity code is found within this memory, then the user is authorized and the door is opened. Otherwise, the user is not authorized and entry is refused. A remotely disposed memory controller controls the authorized identity codes stored in the identity code memory, which is preferably electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The memory controller is preferably a desktop computer including a data base program with the identity of authorized users. The identity code of a transmitter held by a formerly authorized user can be determined via the data base program and deleted from the identity code memory without requiring return of the transmitter. “Pass back” is restricted by preventing additional door accesses for a predetermined time following each access. In an alternative embodiment, a two-button transmitter includes a fixed identity code and a user selectable identity code. One button transmits the selectable identity code to individualized receiver/operators also having a user settable identity code.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,583 to Harada, discloses an interactive television system for providing TV and CATV-based entertainment services and other TV-based services to authorized users, apparently primarily focused on electronic polling of users. The invention is based on a “central site” apparatus, apparently a high-capacity computer. Terminal devices bi-directionally communicate with the central computer via a digitally linked two-way CATV network, to provide video and audio inputs to a display apparatus thereto, with each of the terminal apparatuses being wirelessly controllable by one or more remote control apparatuses. Additionally, using remote controllers, users can request services or participate in TV-centric polling, with the TV being the communications medium in conjunction with a digital link to a central site, via a television-attached terminal, such as a set-top box. Message data issued by a remote control apparatus is automatically accompanied by apparatus identifier information, then read out from a memory of the remote control apparatus for identifying that remote control apparatus, and may also be accompanied by personal information concerning a registered user of the remote control apparatus. Onboard user recognition can be implemented by a plug-in IC card interface section or fingerprint recognition section, for enabling restriction of each remote control apparatus to use by only a specific registered user, or to enable only a specific registered user to access certain services.
Harada's patent does not lend itself to user-centric applications. In the Harada product, primary and apparent last resort placement of application intelligence appears centralized. Harada's “terminal” is apparently a set-top controller connected into the TV. However, set-top terminals appear effectively slaved to the central computer. They do not appear to recognize classes of devices allowed to access them. Implicitly, Harada's central computer is managing and authorizing the enabling of his terminal and by extension, the central site is effectively, (indirectly) managing remote control devices communicating with the terminal attached to the TV, all of which are controlled by and digitally linked to the central site.
The Harada patent does not disclose hierarchies of remote control devices or user privileges, optional identity credential verification subsystem flexibility, and pre-definable security options on a mobile, portable, application-by-application basis. There is also no mention of authorized users porting their remote controllers and their associated privileges between different remotely controlled devices and machinery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,867 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,544, both to Schindler, et al, teach a self-identifying remote control device having a television receiver for use in a computer. An entertainment system is disclosed which has a personal computer as the heart of the system with a large screen VGA quality monitor as the display of choice. The entertainment system has digital satellite broadcast reception, decompression and display capability with multiple radio frequency remote control devices that transmit self-identifying signals and that have power adjustment capabilities. These features are used to provide context-sensitive groups of keys that are defined to affect only selected applications running in a windowing environment. The remote control devices of this invention claim to combine television and VCR controls with standard PC computer keyboard controls. A user of the Schindler invention is not subject to strict authentication and different levels of privilege to operate the remote control or the remote-controlled resource. Schindler is utilitarian for its stated applications and does not completely disclose or suggest use for one or more authorized users of the remote controller.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,693 to Gibson teaches a method of, and system for, transferring secure data. The method of transferring secure data in a remote control system includes a remote controller and a controlled apparatus that is operable in response to commands relayed by the remote controller. The controlled apparatus has a receiver for receiving transmissions from the remote controller. The remote controller has a transmitter, a memory for storing secure data and commands and a keypad. The embedded transmitter is controlled so that in response to a user wishing to transfer secure data to the user apparatus, it transmits this data at a power level lower than that which is normally used for sending other commands. The link between the remote controller user apparatus can be radio frequency wireless or infrared wireless.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,285 to Perdue, et al, discloses a communications system for transmitting and receiving remote control messages in an electronic remote control system. This communications system uses a message protocol that is purportedly suited for transmitting RF remote control messages with IR remote control messages in a time multiplexed fashion, wherein the RF remote control messages are transmitted during the pause intervals between IR remote control message transmission intervals. A plurality of data fields begins with a data field for specifying a destination device address. A security code data field allows a specific remote control transmitter to control a specific destination device. A status field specifies codes associated with the message. A keycode field carries a message payload. A checksum field verifies the transmission integrity of the remote control message. A remote control message based on the present message protocol may be expanded to include additional data fields and to expand pre-existing data fields. While the Purdue patent, and products it protects, appears utilitarian for applications requiring both RF and infrared data communications, there is no mention of using the remote controller apparatus for media content subscription services.
Russell, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,481,265, 5,729,220, 6,201,484, and 6,441,770 describes a ‘secure access transceiver.’ The invention illustrates a hand-held electronic device that incorporates wireless technology with a button-oriented user interface. The device is used to provide both identification of an individual and a device to a receiving device or system.
International Application No. PCT/US00/42323 describes a Biometric Personal Identification Device (BPID). A BPID is a hand-held electronic device that provides multi-factor authentication and allows its enrolled operator to control the release and dissemination of stored information such as financial accounts, medical records, passwords, personal identification numbers, and other sensitive data and information. The device has tamper-resistant packaging with form factors ranging from credit card size to key fobs. Various embodiments also include a biometric scanner, a liquid crystal display (LCD) and buttons for user interaction, and a wireless interface for communication with other electronic devices. The device has been developed so that the fingerprint cannot be physically or electronically removed or transmitted from the device, and information cannot be physically or electronically removed or transmitted from the device unless released by the operator of the authorizing biometric. All data and processing is performed securely. The BPID can store a variety of data and applications, though it is primarily intended for point-of-sale or other financial transactions. However, the BPID does not describe means for secure remote control access.